COMET: a multicomponent home-based disease-management programme versus routine care in severe COPD

Contextual factors for the successful implementation of self-management interventions for chronic diseases: A qualitative review of reviews

OBJECTIVES

To identify and describe the most relevant contextual factors (CFs) from the literature that influence the successful implementation of self-management interventions (SMIs) for patients living with type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, COPD and/or heart failure.

METHODS

We conducted a qualitative review of reviews. Four databases were searched, 929 reviews were identified, 460 screened and 61 reviews met the inclusion criteria. CFs in this paper are categorized according to the Tailored Implementation for Chronic Diseases framework.

RESULTS

A great variety of CFs was identified on several levels, across all four chronic diseases. Most CFs were on the level of the patient, the professional and the interaction level, while less CFs were obtained on the level of the intervention, organization, setting and national level. No differences in main themes of CFs across all four diseases were found.

DISCUSSION

For the successful implementation of SMIs, it is crucial to take CFs on several levels into account simultaneously. Person-centered care, by tailoring SMIs to patients' needs and circumstances, may increase the successful uptake, application and implementation of SMIs in real-life practice. The next step will be to identify the most important CFs according to various stakeholders through a group consensus process.

Effectiveness of a telenursing intervention program in reducing exacerbations in patients with chronic respiratory failure receiving noninvasive positive pressure ventilation: A randomized controlled trial

Telenursing for patients with chronic respiratory failure receiving noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) is an important aid in reducing exacerbations; however, there is insufficient evidence. This randomized controlled trial investigated the effectiveness of a telenursing intervention program in reducing exacerbations in patients with chronic respiratory failure receiving NPPV at home. We included patients receiving NPPV at home who could handle a tablet device. The intervention group (n = 15) underwent an information and communications technology-based telenursing intervention program in addition to usual care; the control group (n = 16) received the usual care only. The telenursing intervention program comprised telemonitoring and health counseling sessions via videophone. The intervention was evaluated once at enrollment and after 3 months. The primary endpoints were the number of unscheduled outpatient visits, hospitalizations, and hospital days. The secondary endpoints included the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) score, Euro QOL 5 Dimension score, Self-Care Agency Questionnaire (SCAQ) score, pulmonary function tests, and 6-min walking distance. We used the Mann-Whitney U test for our analysis. We found no significant differences between the intervention and control groups at enrollment. Then, the differences between the endpoints at baseline and 3 months after enrollment were calculated and used to compare both groups. At follow-up, the number of routine outpatient visits for acute exacerbations (p = .045), the number of hospitalizations (p = .037), the number of hospital days (p = .031), SGRQ (p = .039) score, and SCAQ (p = .034) score were significantly different. The increase in the number of unscheduled outpatient visits in the intervention group during follow-up was attributed to acute exacerbations and a significant decrease in the number of hospitalizations and hospital days. Hence, the telenursing intervention program may be effective in reducing exacerbations in patients with chronic respiratory failure receiving NPPV at home. Trial registration: UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR) UMIN000027657.

Intensive out-of-hospital coaching for frequently hospitalized COPD patients: a before-after feasibility study

Background

This study assesses whether out-of-hospital coaching of re-hospitalized, severe COPD patients by specialized respiratory nurses is feasible in terms of cost-effectiveness, implementation, and recipient acceptability. The coaching was aimed at improving patients' health management abilities, motivation for healthy behavior, strengthening the professional and informal care network, stimulating physiotherapy treatment and exercise training, improving knowledge on symptom recognition and medication use, and providing safety and support.

Methods

Cost-effectiveness of 6 months of out-of-hospital coaching was assessed based on a before-after intervention design, with real-life data and one-year follow-up. A total of 170 patients were included. Primary (questionnaires, meeting reports) and secondary data (insurance reimbursement data) were collected in one province in the Netherlands. The implementing and recipient acceptability was assessed based on the number of successfully delivered coaching sessions, questionnaire response rate, Patient Reported Experience Measure, and interviews with coaches.

Results

Post-intervention, the COPD-related hospitalization rate was reduced by 24%, and patients improved in terms of health status, anxiety, and nutritional status. Patients with a high mental burden and a poor score for health impairment and wellbeing at the start of the intervention showed the greatest reduction in hospitalizations. The coaching service was successfully implemented and considered acceptable by recipients, based on patient and coach satisfaction and clinical use of patient-reported measures.

Conclusion

The study demonstrates the value of coaching patients out-of-hospital, with a strong link to primary care, but with support of hospital expertise, thereby adding to previous studies on disease- or self-management support in either primary or secondary care settings. Patients benefit from personal attention, practical advice, exercise training, and motivational meetings, thereby improving health status and reducing the likelihood of re-hospitalization and its associated costs.

[Telemonitoring of patients with chronic respiratory failure in France]

The year 2023 is marked by the officialization in French law of medical telemonitoring. Adult patients suffering from severe chronic respiratory failure (CRF) and being treated non-invasive ventilation (NIV) and/or oxygen therapy in a home setting are eligible for telemonitoring, of which the costs are to be covered by French health insurance. Telemonitoring allows a medical professional to remotely interpret the data necessary for follow-up and, if necessary, to make decisions regarding management of a given patient. Its objectives are, at the very least, to stabilize the disease through appropriate monitoring, to improve efficiency and quality of care, and to improve that patient's quality of life. The objective of this synthesis is to review the current state of remote monitoring of CRF patients by identifying, through a narrative analysis of the literature, its current benefits and limitations, and to compare present-day telemonitoring with the guidelines of the official French health authority (Haute Autorité de santé) for its nationwide application.

The role of telemonitoring in patients on home mechanical ventilation

There is a growing number of patients being treated with long-term home mechanical ventilation (HMV). This poses a challenge for the healthcare system because in-hospital resources are decreasing. The application of digital health to assist HMV care might help. In this narrative review we discuss the evidence for using telemonitoring to assist in initiation and follow-up of patients on long-term HMV. We also give an overview of available technology and discuss which parameters can be measured and how often this should be done. To get a telemonitoring solution implemented in clinical practice is often complex; we discuss which factors contribute to that. We discuss patients' opinions regarding the use of telemonitoring in HMV. Finally, future perspectives for this rapidly growing and evolving field will be discussed.

Long-Term Usage and Improved Clinical Outcomes with Adoption of a COPD Digital Support Service: Key Findings from the RECEIVER Trial

Purpose

Digital tools may improve chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) management, but further evidence of significant, persisting benefits are required. The RECEIVER trial was devised to evaluate the Lenus COPD support service by determining if people with severe COPD would continue to utilize the co-designed patient web application throughout study follow-up and to explore the impact of this digital service on clinical outcomes with its adoption alongside routine care.

Patients and Methods

The prospective observational cohort hybrid implementation-effectiveness study began in September 2019 and included 83 participants. Recruitment stopped in March 2020 due to COVID-19, but follow-up continued as planned. A contemporary matched control cohort was identified to compare participant clinical outcomes with and minimize biases associated with wider COVID-19 impacts. Utilization was determined by daily COPD assessment test (CAT) completion through the application. Survival metrics and post-index date changes in annual hospitalizations were compared between the RECEIVER and control cohorts. Longitudinal quality of life and symptom burden data and community-managed exacerbation events were also captured through the application.

Results

High and sustained application utilization was noted across the RECEIVER cohort with a mean follow-up of 78 weeks (64/83 participants completed at least one CAT entry on ≥50% of possible follow-up weeks). Subgroup analysis of participants resident in more socioeconomically deprived postcode areas revealed equivalent utilization. Median time to death or a COPD or respiratory-related admission was higher in the RECEIVER cohort compared to control (335 days vs 155 days). Mean reduction in annual occupied bed days was 8.12 days vs 3.38 days in the control cohort. Quality of life and symptom burden remained stable despite the progressive nature of COPD.

Conclusion

The sustained utilization of the co-designed patient application and improvements in participant outcomes observed in the RECEIVER trial support scale-up implementation with continued evaluation of this digital service.

COPD: Providing the right treatment for the right patient at the right time

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a common disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality that is both preventable and treatable. However, a major challenge in recognizing, preventing, and treating COPD is understanding its complexity. While COPD has historically been characterized as a disease defined by airflow limitation, we now understand it as a multi-component disease with many clinical phenotypes, systemic manifestations, and associated co-morbidities. Evidence is rapidly emerging in our understanding of the many factors that contribute to the pathogenesis of COPD and the identification of "early" or "pre-COPD" which should provide exciting opportunities for early treatment and disease modification. In addition to breakthroughs in our understanding of the origins of COPD, we are optimizing treatment strategies and delivery of care that are showing impressive benefits in patient-centered outcomes and healthcare utilization. This special issue of Respiratory Medicine, "COPD: Providing the Right Treatment for the Right Patient at the Right Time" is a summary of the proceedings of a conference held in Stresa, Italy in April 2022 that brought together international experts to discuss emerging evidence in COPD and Pulmonary Rehabilitation in honor of a distinguished friend and colleague, Claudio Ferdinando Donor (1948-2021). Claudio was a true pioneer in the field of pulmonary rehabilitation and the comprehensive care of individuals with COPD. He held numerous leadership roles in in the field, provide editorial stewardship of several respiratory journals, authored numerous papers, statement and guidelines in COPD and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, and provided mentorship to many in our field. Claudio's most impressive talent was his ability to organize spectacular conferences and symposia that highlighted cutting edge science and clinical medicine. It is in this spirit that this conference was conceived and planned. These proceedings are divided into 4 sections which highlight crucial areas in the field of COPD: (1) New concepts in COPD pathogenesis; (2) Enhancing outcomes in COPD; (3) Non-pharmacologic management of COPD; and (4) Optimizing delivery of care for COPD. These presentations summarize the newest evidence in the field and capture lively discussion on the exciting future of treating this prevalent and impactful disease. We thank each of the authors for their participation and applaud their efforts toward pushing the envelope in our understanding of COPD and optimizing care for these patients. We believe that this edition is a most fitting tribute to a dear colleague and friend and will prove useful to students, clinicians, and researchers as they continually strive to provide the right treatment for the right patient at the right time. It has been our pleasure and a distinct honor to serve as editors and oversee such wonderful scholarly work.

Optimizing Recovery Following Critical Illness: A Systematic Review of Home-Based Interventions

Around 5 million Americans are treated in an intensive care unit (ICU) annually. Upon discharge, it is not uncommon for ICU survivors to experience psychological, physical, or cognitive symptoms related to their ICU stay. Home-based interventions have been touted as a potential treatment modality for post-ICU sequelae. However, limited evidence exists regarding the effectiveness of home-based interventions for patients in the post-ICU recovery period. As such, the purpose of this review was to aggregate and summarize the findings of studies focused on post-ICU rehabilitation, following critical illness, delivered in the home setting. A literature search was performed in MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, APA PsycINFO, and Google Scholar. Studies were included if they: used a RCT or quasi-experimental study design; included participants aged ≥18 years discharged home from an ICU; examined the effectiveness of a home-based, post-ICU intervention; were published in English after the year 2010; and were peer-reviewed. Nine studies met inclusion criteria. Sample sizes ranged from 21 to 386, with most participants receiving mechanical ventilation. Target outcomes included: physical function, psychological well-being, cognitive function, quality of life, and healthcare utilization. Interventions included face-to-face, web-based, telephone, or self-directed activities. Findings of included studies were mixed or inconclusive. Limitations of this review include: inclusion of only adult ICU survivors, exclusion of Post-Intensive Care Syndrome as a search term, and search restricted to pre-pandemic studies. Findings suggest a need for more rigorous research to develop and test home-based interventions.

Home-Based Respiratory Care for COPD Patients

Despite significant advances in pharmacological treatment over the last few decades, COPD remains a heavy burden on the health systems around the world, affecting approximately 210 million people, with elevated morbimortality and socioeconomic impact. Barriers to healthcare access were even more evident during the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic and increased patients’ vulnerability to physical deconditioning, depression, and social isolation. Home-based respiratory care in patients with COPD provides a valuable contribution to effective disease management, with potential advantages for monitoring, treatment adherence, and cost reduction. Technological innovation allows clinical markers of interest, such as respiratory frequency, pulmonary function, and oxygen saturation, to be tracked remotely from the patients’ homes, providing a better understanding of their real needs. Home-based telerehabilitation can also be a viable alternative to hospital-based programs. Here, we highlight the full extent of health benefits of HRC in COPD, particularly for patients with a higher risk of exacerbations, multiple comorbidities, and limited access to health services.

Effectiveness of Interventions Targeting Treatable Traits for the Management of Obstructive Airway Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

The management of obstructive airway diseases (OADs) is complex. The treatable traits (TTs) approach may be an effective strategy for managing OADs.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effectiveness of interventions targeting TTs for managing OADs.

METHODS

Ovid Embase, Medline, CENTRAL, and CINAHL Plus were searched from inception to March 9, 2022. Studies of interventions targeting at least 1 TT from pulmonary, extrapulmonary, and behavioral/lifestyle domains were included. Two reviewers independently extracted relevant data and performed risk-of-bias assessments. Meta-analyses were performed using random-effects models. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were carried out to explore heterogeneity and to determine the effects of outlying studies.

RESULTS

Eleven studies that used the TTs approach for OAD management were identified. Traits targeted within each study ranged from 13 to 36. Seven controlled trials were included in meta-analyses. TT interventions were effective at improving health-related quality of life (mean difference [MD] = -6.96, 95% CI: -9.92 to -4.01), hospitalizations (odds ratio [OR] = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.39 to 0.69), all-cause-1-year mortality (OR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.45 to 0.95), dyspnea score (MD = -0.29, 95% CI: -0.46 to -0.12), anxiety (MD = -1.61, 95% CI: -2.92 to -0.30), and depression (MD = -2.00, 95% CI: -3.53 to -0.47).

CONCLUSION

Characterizing TTs and targeted interventions can improve outcomes in OADs, which offer a promising model of care for OADs.

eHealth in Self-Managing at a Distance Patients with COPD

Worldwide, healthcare delivery for chronic diseases has been challenging due to the current SARS-COV-2 pandemic. The growing use of information and communication technologies via telehealth has gained popularity in all fields of medicine. In chronic respiratory diseases, self-management, defined as a structured but personalized multi-component intervention with the main goal of achieving healthy behavioral change, is an essential element of long-term care. Iterative interventions delivered by a well-trained health coach in order to empower and provide the patient with the tools and skills needed to adopt sustained healthy behaviors have proven to be effective in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Benefits have been shown to both improve patient quality of life and reduce acute exacerbation events and acute healthcare utilization. In COPD, the evidence so far has shown us that remote technologies such as telemonitoring or remote management may improve patient-reported outcomes and healthcare utilization. However, clear limitations are still present and questions remain unanswered. More and better designed studies are therefore necessary to define the place of eHealth in self-managing at a distance in patients with COPD.

Effects of home-based telehealth on the physical condition and psychological status of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

AIMS

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of home-based telehealth compared with usual care on six-minute walking distance (6MWD), health-related quality of life, anxiety and depression in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

METHODS

We identified randomized controlled trials through a systematic multidatabase search. Titles and abstracts were assessed for relevance. Two authors independently extracted data and assessed the risk of bias and quality of evidence. Meta-analyses were conducted using Review Manager and Stata.

RESULTS

We included 32 randomized controlled trials (n = 5232). Devices used for home-based telehealth interventions included telephones, videos, and combined devices. The quality of the evidence was downgraded due to high risk of bias, imprecision, and inconsistency. Home-based telehealth significantly increased 6MWD by 35 m (SD = 30.42) and reduced symptom burden by 3 points (SD = -2.30) on the COPD assessment test compared with usual care. However, no significant differences in anxiety and depression were noted between the home-based telehealth group and the standard care group. In subgroup analysis, home-based telehealth significantly improved 6MWD and health status after 6-12 months and >12 months.

CONCLUSION

Low quality evidence showed that home-based telehealth interventions reduce symptom burden and increase walking distance to a clinically meaningful extent in patients with COPD. However, no effects on depression and anxiety were observed.

Spanish COPD Guideline (GesEPOC) Update: Comorbidities, Self-Management and Palliative Care

The current health care models described in GesEPOC indicate the best way to make a correct diagnosis, the categorization of patients, the appropriate selection of the therapeutic strategy and the management and prevention of exacerbations. In addition, COPD involves several aspects that are crucial in an integrated approach to the health care of these patients. The evaluation of comorbidities in COPD patients represents a healthcare challenge. As part of a comprehensive assessment, the presence of comorbidities related to the clinical presentation, to some diagnostic technique or to some COPD-related treatments should be studied. Likewise, interventions on healthy lifestyle habits, adherence to complex treatments, developing skills to recognize the signs and symptoms of exacerbation, knowing what to do to prevent them and treat them within the framework of a self-management plan are also necessary. Finally, palliative care is one of the pillars in the comprehensive treatment of the COPD patient, seeking to prevent or treat the symptoms of a disease, the side effects of treatment, and the physical, psychological and social problems of patients and their caregivers. Therefore, the main objective of this palliative care is not to prolong life expectancy, but to improve its quality. This chapter of GesEPOC 2021 presents an update on the most important comorbidities, self-management strategies, and palliative care in COPD, and includes a recommendation on the use of opioids for the treatment of refractory dyspnea in COPD.

Performance of an eHealth (NOMHAD) System Comprising Telemonitoring, Telenotification, and Telecoaching for Patients With Multimorbidity: Proof-of-Concept Study

Background

Management of patients with multiple chronic diseases is a growing public health challenge, especially in rural sectors where access to physicians may be limited. Connected medical devices monitoring vital signs, associated with eHealth program and structured telephone support, may improve complex patient management through early detection of disease complications, positive impact on patients’ health, and health resources consumption optimization.

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the technical performance and user experience of the NOMHAD eHealth system in patients with multimorbidity.

Methods

This was a pilot, single-arm, interventional study. Patients with multimorbidity with any combination of chronic heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes were followed for 80-100 days using the NOMHAD eHealth system. This system used connected devices telemonitoring symptoms and vital signs (eg, body weight, oxygen saturation, pulse rate, blood pressure, and blood glucose), associated with structured telecoaching and educational support by call center nurses. An overall risk indicator (ORI) was automatically computed after each data teletransmission. The ORI was color coded; green indicated no action required; yellow, orange, and red (low to high priority, respectively) generated telenotifications and indicated to the nurses the need for a telecoaching action. Each ORI was calculated by combining 7 clinical stability system indicators based on symptom questionnaires and vital signs. Technical accuracy of the system was assessed by comparing system-generated ORIs with ORIs recalculated from raw data. Ease of use, usefulness, satisfaction, and acceptability of the system were assessed through patient adherence to self-assessments, and through self-administered questionnaires to patients, call center nurses, and physicians.

Results

A total of 23 patients were enrolled in this study and participated between April 2016 and March 2017 at 5 study centers in France. All patients were successfully equipped and evaluable for analysis. Mean age was 68.5 (SD 10.4) years and most patients were men (n=20). The most common multimorbidity was CHF + diabetes (n=15), followed by patients with all 3 diseases (n=5). Mean effective follow-up was 78.7 (SD 24.2) days. The system generated 6263 ORIs, as several ORIs could be generated on a single day for any patient. Overall system sensitivity was 99.2% (95% CI 98.9-99.4) and overall specificity was 91.3% (95% CI 87.7-94.1). Most patients (20/23, 87%) were satisfied with the system and agreed that it helped them to better understand and manage their diseases, and 19/23 (83%) valued the nurse regular contacts. Nurses and physicians were generally satisfied with the system and considered it useful. All users indicated they would agree to long-term use of the system.

Conclusions

This study provides evidence that the NOMHAD eHealth system is accurate, acceptable, informative, and feasible for patients with multimorbidity, supporting further investigation of its clinical benefits.

Trial Registration

Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des Produits de Santé 2015-A01106-43; https://ictaxercb.ansm.sante.fr/Public/index.php

The Role of Digital Tools in the Timely Diagnosis and Prevention of Acute Exacerbations of COPD: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways and lung parenchyma with multiple systemic manifestations. Exacerbations of COPD are important events during the course of the disease, as they are associated with increased mortality, severe impairment of health-related quality of life, accelerated decline in lung function, significant reduction in physical activity, and substantial economic burden. Telemedicine is the use of communication technologies to transmit medical data over short or long distances and to deliver healthcare services. The need to limit in-person appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a rapid increase in telemedicine services. In the present review of the literature covering published randomized controlled trials reporting results regarding the use of digital tools in acute exacerbations of COPD, we attempt to clarify the effectiveness of telemedicine for identifying, preventing, and reducing COPD exacerbations and improving other clinically relevant outcomes, while describing in detail the specific telemedicine interventions used.

Self-management interventions for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BACKGROUND

Self-management interventions help people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to acquire and practise the skills they need to carry out disease-specific medical regimens, guide changes in health behaviour and provide emotional support to enable them to control their disease. Since the 2014 update of this review, several studies have been published.

OBJECTIVES

Primary objectives To evaluate the effectiveness of COPD self-management interventions compared to usual care in terms of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and respiratory-related hospital admissions. To evaluate the safety of COPD self-management interventions compared to usual care in terms of respiratory-related mortality and all-cause mortality. Secondary objectives To evaluate the effectiveness of COPD self-management interventions compared to usual care in terms of other health outcomes and healthcare utilisation. To evaluate effective characteristics of COPD self-management interventions.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Airways Trials Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, trials registries and the reference lists of included studies up until January 2020.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and cluster-randomised trials (CRTs) published since 1995. To be eligible for inclusion, self-management interventions had to include at least two intervention components and include an iterative process between participant and healthcare provider(s) in which goals were formulated and feedback was given on self-management actions by the participant.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently selected studies for inclusion, assessed trial quality and extracted data. We resolved disagreements by reaching consensus or by involving a third review author. We contacted study authors to obtain additional information and missing outcome data where possible. Primary outcomes were health-related quality of life (HRQoL), number of respiratory-related hospital admissions, respiratory-related mortality, and all-cause mortality. When appropriate, we pooled study results using random-effects modelling meta-analyses.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 27 studies involving 6008 participants with COPD. The follow-up time ranged from two-and-a-half to 24 months and the content of the interventions was diverse. Participants' mean age ranged from 57 to 74 years, and the proportion of male participants ranged from 33% to 98%. The post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) to forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio of participants ranged from 33.6% to 57.0%. The FEV1/FVC ratio is a measure used to diagnose COPD and to determine the severity of the disease. Studies were conducted on four different continents (Europe (n = 15), North America (n = 8), Asia (n = 1), and Oceania (n = 4); with one study conducted in both Europe and Oceania). Self-management interventions likely improve HRQoL, as measured by the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) total score (lower score represents better HRQoL) with a mean difference (MD) from usual care of -2.86 points (95% confidence interval (CI) -4.87 to -0.85; 14 studies, 2778 participants; low-quality evidence). The pooled MD of -2.86 did not reach the SGRQ minimal clinically important difference (MCID) of four points. Self-management intervention participants were also at a slightly lower risk for at least one respiratory-related hospital admission (odds ratio (OR) 0.75, 95% CI 0.57 to 0.98; 15 studies, 3263 participants; very low-quality evidence). The number needed to treat to prevent one respiratory-related hospital admission over a mean of 9.75 months' follow-up was 15 (95% CI 8 to 399) for participants with high baseline risk and 26 (95% CI 15 to 677) for participants with low baseline risk. No differences were observed in respiratory-related mortality (risk difference (RD) 0.01, 95% CI -0.02 to 0.04; 8 studies, 1572 participants ; low-quality evidence) and all-cause mortality (RD -0.01, 95% CI -0.03 to 0.01; 24 studies, 5719 participants; low-quality evidence). We graded the evidence to be of 'moderate' to 'very low' quality according to GRADE. All studies had a substantial risk of bias, because of lack of blinding of participants and personnel to the interventions, which is inherently impossible in a self-management intervention. In addition, risk of bias was noticeably increased because of insufficient information regarding a) non-protocol interventions, and b) analyses to estimate the effect of adhering to interventions. Consequently, the highest GRADE evidence score that could be obtained by studies was 'moderate'.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Self-management interventions for people with COPD are associated with improvements in HRQoL, as measured with the SGRQ, and a lower probability of respiratory-related hospital admissions. No excess respiratory-related and all-cause mortality risks were observed, which strengthens the view that COPD self-management interventions are unlikely to cause harm. By using stricter inclusion criteria, we decreased heterogeneity in studies, but also reduced the number of included studies and therefore our capacity to conduct subgroup analyses. Data were therefore still insufficient to reach clear conclusions about effective (intervention) characteristics of COPD self-management interventions. As tailoring of COPD self-management interventions to individuals is desirable, heterogeneity is and will likely remain present in self-management interventions. For future studies, we would urge using only COPD self-management interventions that include iterative interactions between participants and healthcare professionals who are competent using behavioural change techniques (BCTs) to elicit participants' motivation, confidence and competence to positively adapt their health behaviour(s) and develop skills to better manage their disease. In addition, to inform further subgroup and meta-regression analyses and to provide stronger conclusions regarding effective COPD self-management interventions, there is a need for more homogeneity in outcome measures. More attention should be paid to behavioural outcome measures and to providing more detailed, uniform and transparently reported data on self-management intervention components and BCTs. Assessment of outcomes over the long term is also recommended to capture changes in people's behaviour. Finally, information regarding non-protocol interventions as well as analyses to estimate the effect of adhering to interventions should be included to increase the quality of evidence.

[Respiratory telerehabilitation in cases of COPD]

Telerehabilitation brings together a set of rehabilitation practices applied remotely by means of information and communication technologies. Even though it has been taking on increasing importance in many health fields over 10 years, telerehabilitation had yet to find its place in pulmonary rehabilitation before 2020, when the pandemic situation impelled numerous teams to put it to work. Pilot studies on respiratory diseases, primarily COPD, along with recent data from randomized or non-randomized studies, have enhanced our understanding of "remote" practice. In this review of the literature, we will show that pulmonary telerehabilitation is feasible, safe and likely to yield short-term (and possibly longer term) effects generally similar to those achieved in the pulmonary rehabilitation programs of specialized centers, especially as regards some indicators of exercise tolerance, dyspnea or patient quality of life. However, the number of studies and patients included in these programs remains too limited in terms of modalities, duration, long-term effects, or adaptations in case of exacerbation to be the subject of recommendations. The potential of respiratory telerehabilitation justifies continuing clinical trials and experiments, which need to be coordinated with the interventions characterizing a conventional program.

Effectiveness of Telemonitoring for Respiratory and Systemic Symptoms of Asthma and COPD: A Narrative Review

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) are highly prevalent chronic lung diseases that require ongoing self-management, which itself is often suboptimal. Therefore, telemonitoring has been used to help patients measure their symptoms, share data with healthcare providers and receive education and feedback to improve disease management. In this study, we conducted a narrative review of recent evidence on the effectiveness of telemonitoring for asthma and COPD in adults. Of the thirteen identified studies, eleven focused on COPD and two focused on asthma. All studies were reviewed, and effects were compared between intervention and care as usual groups. Of the study interventions, seven showed a positive outcome on at least one outcome measure, and six had no significant results on any of the outcome measures. All of the interventions with a positive outcome included an educational component, while only one of the six interventions without positive outcomes included an educational component. We conclude that telemonitoring interventions for asthma and COPD seem more effective if they included an educational component regarding different aspects of self-management.

Home Telemonitoring to Reduce Readmission of High-Risk Patients: a Modified Intention-to-Treat Randomized Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND

Home telemonitoring has been used with discharged patients in an attempt to reduce 30-day readmissions with mixed results.

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether home 30-day telemonitoring after discharge for patients at high risk of readmission would reduce readmissions or mortality.

DESIGN

Prospective, randomized controlled trial.

PATIENTS

We compared 30-day readmission rates and mortality for patients at high risk for readmission who received home telemonitoring versus standard care between November 1, 2014, and November 30, 2018, in 2 tertiary care hospitals.

INTERVENTIONS

The intervention group received home-installed equipment to measure blood pressure, heart rate, pulse oximetry, weight if heart failure was present, and glucose if diabetes was present. Results were transmitted daily and reviewed by a nurse. Both groups received standard care.

MAIN MEASURES

The primary outcome was a composite end point of hospital readmission or death within 30 days after discharge. The secondary outcome was an emergency department visit within 30 days after discharge.

KEY RESULTS

A total of 1380 participants (mean [SD] age, 66 [14] years; 722 [52.3%] men and 658 [47.7%] women) participated in this study. Using a modified intention-to-treat analysis, the risk of readmission or death within 30 days among patients at high readmission risk was 23.7% (137/578) in the control group and 18.2% (87/477) in the telemonitoring group (absolute risk difference, - 5.5% [95% CI, - 10.4 to - 0.6%]; relative risk, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.61 to 0.98]; P = .03). Emergency department visits occurred within 30 days after discharge in 14.2% (81/570) of patients in the control group and 8.6% (40/464) of patients in the telemonitoring group (absolute risk difference, - 5.6% [95% CI, - 9.4 to - 1.8%]; relative risk, 0.61 [95% CI, 0.42 to 0.87]; P = .005).

CONCLUSIONS

Thirty days of postdischarge telemonitoring may reduce readmissions of high-risk patients.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02136186.

Effectiveness of Telemonitoring for Reducing Exacerbation Occurrence in COPD Patients With Past Exacerbation History: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Although an increasing number of studies have reported that telemonitoring (TM) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can be useful and efficacious for hospitalizations and quality of life, its actual utility in detecting and managing acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) is less established. This meta-analysis aimed to identify the best available evidence on the effectiveness of TM targeting the early and optimized management of AECOPD in patients with a history of past AECOPD compared with a control group without TM intervention.

Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library for randomized controlled trials published from 1990 to May 2020. Primary endpoints included emergency room visits and exacerbation-related readmissions. P-values, risk ratios, odds ratios, and mean differences with 95% confidence intervals were calculated.

Results: Of 505 identified citations, 17 original articles with both TM intervention and a control group were selected for the final analysis (N = 3,001 participants). TM was found to reduce emergency room visits [mean difference (MD) −0.70, 95% confidence interval (CI) −1.36 to −0.03], exacerbation-related readmissions (risk ratio 0.74, 95% CI 0.60–0.92), exacerbation-related hospital days (MD −0.60, 95% CI −1.06 to −0.13), mortality (odds ratio 0.71, 95% CI 0.54–0.93), and the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) score (MD −3.72, 95% CI −7.18 to −0.26) but did not make a difference with respect to all-cause readmissions, the rate of exacerbation-related readmissions, all-cause hospital days, time to first hospital readmission, anxiety and depression, and exercise capacity. Furthermore, the subgroup analysis by observation period showed that longer TM (≥12 months) was more effective in reducing readmissions.

Conclusions: TM can reduce emergency room visits and exacerbation-related readmissions, as well as acute exacerbation (AE)-related hospital days, mortality, and the SGRQ score. The implementation of TM intervention is thus a potential protective therapeutic strategy that could facilitate the long-term management of AECOPD.

Systematic Review Registration: This systematic review and meta-analysis is reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement and was registered at International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (number: CRD42020181459).

Integrated disease management interventions for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BACKGROUND

People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) show considerable variation in symptoms, limitations, and well-being; this often complicates medical care. A multi-disciplinary and multi-component programme that addresses different elements of care could improve quality of life (QoL) and exercise tolerance, while reducing the number of exacerbations.

OBJECTIVES

To compare the effectiveness of integrated disease management (IDM) programmes versus usual care for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in terms of health-related quality of life (QoL), exercise tolerance, and exacerbation-related outcomes.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Airways Group Register of Trials, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL for potentially eligible studies. Searches were current as of September 2020.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared IDM programmes for COPD versus usual care were included. Interventions consisted of multi-disciplinary (two or more healthcare providers) and multi-treatment (two or more components) IDM programmes of at least three months' duration.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. If required, we contacted study authors to request additional data. We performed meta-analyses using random-effects modelling. We carried out sensitivity analyses for the quality of included studies and performed subgroup analyses based on setting, study design, dominant intervention components, and region.

MAIN RESULTS

Along with 26 studies included in the 2013 Cochrane Review, we added 26 studies for this update, resulting in 52 studies involving 21,086 participants for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Follow-up periods ranged between 3 and 48 months and were classified as short-term (up to 6 months), medium-term (6 to 15 months), and long-term (longer than 15 months) follow-up. Studies were conducted in 19 different countries. The mean age of included participants was 67 years, and 66% were male. Participants were treated in all types of healthcare settings, including primary (n =15), secondary (n = 22), and tertiary care (n = 5), and combined primary and secondary care (n = 10). Overall, the level of certainty of evidence was moderate to high. We found that IDM probably improves health-related QoL as measured by St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) total score at medium-term follow-up (mean difference (MD) -3.89, 95% confidence interval (CI) -6.16 to -1.63; 18 RCTs, 4321 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). A comparable effect was observed at short-term follow-up (MD -3.78, 95% CI -6.29 to -1.28; 16 RCTs, 1788 participants). However, the common effect did not exceed the minimum clinically important difference (MCID) of 4 points. There was no significant difference between IDM and control for long-term follow-up and for generic QoL. IDM probably also leads to a large improvement in maximum and functional exercise capacity, as measured by six-minute walking distance (6MWD), at medium-term follow-up (MD 44.69, 95% CI 24.01 to 65.37; 13 studies, 2071 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). The effect exceeded the MCID of 35 metres and was even greater at short-term (MD 52.26, 95% CI 32.39 to 72.74; 17 RCTs, 1390 participants) and long-term (MD 48.83, 95% CI 16.37 to 80.49; 6 RCTs, 7288 participants) follow-up. The number of participants with respiratory-related admissions was reduced from 324 per 1000 participants in the control group to 235 per 1000 participants in the IDM group (odds ratio (OR) 0.64, 95% CI 0.50 to 0.81; 15 RCTs, median follow-up 12 months, 4207 participants; high-certainty evidence). Likewise, IDM probably results in a reduction in emergency department (ED) visits (OR 0.69, 95%CI 0.50 to 0.93; 9 RCTs, median follow-up 12 months, 8791 participants; moderate-certainty evidence), a slight reduction in all-cause hospital admissions (OR 0.75, 95%CI 0.57 to 0.98; 10 RCTs, median follow-up 12 months, 9030 participants; moderate-certainty evidence), and fewer hospital days per person admitted (MD -2.27, 95% CI -3.98 to -0.56; 14 RCTs, median follow-up 12 months, 3563 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). Statistically significant improvement was noted on the Medical Research Council (MRC) Dyspnoea Scale at short- and medium-term follow-up but not at long-term follow-up. No differences between groups were reported for mortality, courses of antibiotics/prednisolone, dyspnoea, and depression and anxiety scores. Subgroup analysis of dominant intervention components and regions of study suggested context- and intervention-specific effects. However, some subgroup analyses were marked by considerable heterogeneity or included few studies. These results should therefore be interpreted with caution.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

This review shows that IDM probably results in improvement in disease-specific QoL, exercise capacity, hospital admissions, and hospital days per person. Future research should evaluate which combination of IDM components and which intervention duration are most effective for IDM programmes, and should consider contextual determinants of implementation and treatment effect, including process-related outcomes, long-term follow-up, and cost-effectiveness analyses.

Telehealth interventions: remote monitoring and consultations for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

BACKGROUND

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, including bronchitis and emphysema) is a chronic condition causing shortness of breath, cough, and exacerbations leading to poor health outcomes. Face-to-face visits with health professionals can be hindered by severity of COPD or frailty, and by people living at a distance from their healthcare provider and having limited access to services. Telehealth technologies aimed at providing health care remotely through monitoring and consultations could help to improve health outcomes of people with COPD.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effectiveness of telehealth interventions that allow remote monitoring and consultation and multi-component interventions for reducing exacerbations and improving quality of life, while reducing dyspnoea symptoms, hospital service utilisation, and death among people with COPD.

SEARCH METHODS

We identified studies from the Cochrane Airways Trials Register. Additional sources searched included the US National Institutes of Health Ongoing Trials Register, the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and the IEEEX Xplore Digital Library. The latest search was conducted in April 2020. We used the GRADE approach to judge the certainty of evidence for outcomes.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Eligible randomised controlled trials (RCTs) included adults with diagnosed COPD. Asthma, cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, and other respiratory conditions were excluded. Interventions included remote monitoring or consultation plus usual care, remote monitoring or consultation alone, and mult-component interventions from all care settings. Quality of life scales included St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and the COPD Assessment Test (CAT). The dyspnoea symptom scale used was the Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire Self-Administered Standardized Scale (CRQ-SAS).

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We used standard Cochrane methodological procedures. We assessed confidence in the evidence for each primary outcome using the GRADE method. Primary outcomes were exacerbations, quality of life, dyspnoea symptoms, hospital service utilisation, and mortality; a secondary outcome consisted of adverse events.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 29 studies in the review (5654 participants; male proportion 36% to 96%; female proportion 4% to 61%). Most remote monitoring interventions required participants to transfer measurements using a remote device and later health professional review (asynchronous). Only five interventions transferred data and allowed review by health professionals in real time (synchronous). Studies were at high risk of bias due to lack of blinding, and certainty of evidence ranged from moderate to very low. We found no evidence on comparison of remote consultations with or without usual care. Remote monitoring plus usual care (8 studies, 1033 participants) Very uncertain evidence suggests that remote monitoring plus usual care may have little to no effect on the number of people experiencing exacerbations at 26 weeks or 52 weeks. There may be little to no difference in effect on quality of life (SGRQ) at 26 weeks (very low to low certainty) or on hospitalisation (all-cause or COPD-related; very low certainty). COPD-related hospital re-admissions are probably reduced at 26 weeks (hazard ratio 0.42, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.19 to 0.93; 106 participants; moderate certainty). There may be little to no difference in deaths between intervention and usual care (very low certainty). We found no evidence for dyspnoea symptoms or adverse events. Remote monitoring alone (10 studies, 2456 participants) Very uncertain evidence suggests that remote monitoring may result in little to no effect on the number of people experiencing exacerbations at 41 weeks (odds ratio 1.02, 95% CI 0.67 to 1.55). There may be little to no effect on quality of life (SGRQ total at 17 weeks, or CAT at 38 and 52 weeks; very low certainty). There may be little to no effect on dyspnoea symptoms on the CRQ-SAS at 26 weeks (low certainty). There may be no difference in effects on the number of people admitted to hospital (very low certainty) or on deaths (very low certainty). We found no evidence for adverse events. Multi-component interventions with remote monitoring or consultation component (11 studies, 2165 participants) Very uncertain evidence suggests that multi-component interventions may have little to no effect on the number of people experiencing exacerbations at 52 weeks. Quality of life at 13 weeks may improve as seen in SGRQ total score (mean difference -9.70, 95% CI -18.32 to -1.08; 38 participants; low certainty) but not at 26 or 52 weeks (very low certainty). COPD assessment test (CAT) scores may improve at a mean of 38 weeks, but evidence is very uncertain and interventions are varied. There may be little to no effect on the number of people admitted to hospital at 33 weeks (low certainty). Multi-component interventions are likely to result in fewer people re-admitted to hospital at a mean of 39 weeks (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.81; 344 participants, 3 studies; moderate certainty). There may be little to no difference in death at a mean of 40 weeks (very low certainty). There may be little to no effect on people experiencing adverse events (very low certainty). We found no evidence for dyspnoea symptoms.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Remote monitoring plus usual care provided asynchronously may not be beneficial overall compared to usual care alone. Some benefit is seen in reduction of COPD-related hospital re-admissions, but moderate-certainty evidence is based on one study. We have not found any evidence for dyspnoea symptoms nor harms, and there is no difference in fatalities when remote monitoring is provided in addition to usual care. Remote monitoring interventions alone are no better than usual care overall for health outcomes. Multi-component interventions with asynchronous remote monitoring are no better than usual care but may provide short-term benefit for quality of life and may result in fewer re-admissions to hospital for any cause. We are uncertain whether remote monitoring is responsible for the positive impact on re-admissions, and we are unable to discern the long-term benefits of receiving remote monitoring as part of patient care. Owing to paucity of evidence, it is unclear which COPD severity subgroups would benefit from telehealth interventions. Given there is no evidence of harm, telehealth interventions may be beneficial as an additional health resource depending on individual needs based on professional assessment. Larger studies can determine long-term effects of these interventions.

Models of care across the continuum of exacerbations for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and treatments require a multidisciplinary approach to address patient needs. This review considers different models of care across the continuum of exacerbations (1) chronic care and self-management interventions with the action plan, (2) domiciliary care for severe exacerbation and the impact on readmission prevention and (3) the discharge care bundle for management beyond the acute exacerbation episode. Self-management strategies include written action plans and coaching with patient and family support. Self-management interventions facilitate the delivery of good care, can reduce exacerbations associated with admission, be cost-effective and improve quality of life. Hospitalization as a complication of exacerbation is not always unavoidable. Domiciliary care has been proposed as a solution to replace part, and perhaps even all, of the patient’s in-hospital stay, and to reduce hospital bed days, readmission rates and costs; low-risk patients can be identified using risk stratification tools. A COPD discharge bundle is another potentially important approach that can be considered to improve the management of COPD exacerbations complicated by hospital admission; it comprised treatments that have demonstrated efficacy, such as smoking cessation, personalized pharmacotherapy and non-pharmacotherapy such as pulmonary rehabilitation. COPD bundles may also improve the transition of care from the hospital to the community following exacerbation and may reduce readmission rates. Future models of care should be personalized – providing patient education aiming at behaviour changes, identifying and treating co-morbidities, and including outcomes that measure quality of care rather than focusing only on readmission quantity within 30 days.

Digital interventions for the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BACKGROUND

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with dyspnoea, cough or sputum production (or both) and affects quality of life and functional status. More efficient approaches to alternative management that may include patients themselves managing their condition need further exploration in order to reduce the impact on both patients and healthcare services. Digital interventions may potentially impact on health behaviours and encourage patient engagement.

OBJECTIVES

To assess benefits and harms of digital interventions for managing COPD and apply Behaviour Change Technique (BCT) taxonomy to describe and explore intervention content.

SEARCH METHODS

We identified randomised controlled trials (RCTs) from the Cochrane Airways Trials Register (date of last search 28 April 2020). We found other trials at web-based clinical trials registers.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included RCTs comparing digital technology interventions with or without routine supported self-management to usual care, or control treatment for self-management. Multi-component interventions (of which one component was digital self-management) compared with usual care, standard care or control treatment were included.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We used standard Cochrane methods. Two review authors independently selected trials for inclusion, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. Discrepancies were resolved with a third review author. We assessed certainty of the evidence using the GRADE approach. Primary outcomes were impact on health behaviours, self-efficacy, exacerbations and quality of life, including the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). The minimally important difference (MID) for the SGRQ is 4 points. Two review authors independently applied BCT taxonomy to identify mechanisms in the digital interventions that influence behaviours.

MAIN RESULTS

Fourteen studies were included in the meta-analyses (1518 participants) ranging from 13 to 52 weeks duration. Participants had mild to very severe COPD. Risk of bias was high due to lack of blinding. GRADE ratings were low to very low certainty due to lack of blinding and imprecision. Common BCT clusters identified as behaviour change mechanisms in interventions were goals and planning, feedback and monitoring, social support, shaping knowledge and antecedents. Digital technology intervention with or without routine supported self-management Interventions included mobile phone (three studies), smartphone applications (one study), and web or Internet-based (five studies). Evidence is very uncertain about effects on impact on health behaviours as measured by six-minute walk distance (6MWD) at 13 weeks (mean difference (MD) 26.20, 95% confidence interval (CI) -21.70 to 74.10; participants = 122; studies = 2) or 23 to 26 weeks (MD 14.31, 95% CI -19.41 to 48.03; participants = 164; studies = 3). There may be improvement in 6MWD at 52 weeks (MD 54.33 95% CI -35.47 to 144.12; participants = 204; studies = 2) but studies were varied (very low certainty). There may be no difference in self-efficacy on managing Chronic Disease Scale (SEMCD) or pulmonary rehabilitation adapted index of self-efficacy tool (PRAISE). Evidence is very uncertain. Quality of life may be slightly improved on the chronic respiratory disease questionnaire (CRQ) at 13 weeks (MD 0.45, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.90; participants = 123; studies = 2; low certainty), but is not clinically important (MID 0.5). There may be little or no difference at 23 or 52 weeks (low to very low certainty). There may be a clinical improvement on SGRQ total at 52 weeks (MD -26.57, 95% CI -34.09 to -19.05; participants = 120; studies = 1; low certainty). Evidence for COPD assessment test (CAT) and Clinical COPD Questionnaire (CCQ) is very uncertain. There may be little or no difference in dyspnoea symptoms (CRQ dyspnoea) at 13, 23 weeks or 52 weeks (low to very low certainty evidence) or mean number of exacerbations at 26 weeks (low-certainty evidence). There was no evidence for the number of people experiencing adverse events. Multi-component interventions Digital components included mobile phone (one study), and web or internet-based (four studies). Evidence is very uncertain about effects on impact on health behaviour (6MWD) at 13 weeks (MD 99.60, 95% CI -15.23 to 214.43; participants = 20; studies = 1). No evidence was found for self-efficacy. Four studies reported effects on quality of life (SGRQ and CCQ scales). The evidence is very uncertain. There may be no difference in the number of people experiencing exacerbations or mean days to first exacerbation at 52 weeks with a multi-component intervention compared to standard care. Evidence is very uncertain about effects on the number of people experiencing adverse events at 52 weeks.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

There is insufficient evidence to demonstrate a clear benefit or harm of digital technology interventions with or without supported self-management, or multi-component interventions compared to usual care in improving the 6MWD or self-efficacy. We found there may be some short-term improvement in quality of life with digital interventions, but there is no evidence about whether the effect is sustained long term. Dyspnoea symptoms may improve over a longer duration of digital intervention use. The evidence for multi-component interventions is very uncertain and as there is little or no evidence for adverse events, we cannot determine the benefit or harm of these interventions. The evidence base is predominantly of very low certainty with concerns around high risk of bias due to lack of blinding. Given that variation of interventions and blinding is likely to be a concern, future, larger studies are needed taking these limitations in consideration. Future studies are needed to determine whether the small improvements observed in this review can be applied to the general COPD population. A clear understanding of behaviour change through the BCT classification is important to gauge uptake of digital interventions and health outcomes in people with varying severity of COPD. Currently there is no guidance for interpreting BCT components of a digital intervention for changes to health outcomes. We could not interpret the BCT findings to the health outcomes we were investigating due to limited evidence that was of very low certainty. In future research, standardised approaches need to be considered when designing protocols to investigate effectiveness of digital interventions by including a standardised approach to BCT classification in addition to validated behavioural outcome measures that may reflect changes in behaviour.

Self-management interventions for adults living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): The development of a Core Outcome Set for COMPAR-EU project

BACKGROUND

A large body of evidence suggests that self-management interventions (SMIs) may improve outcomes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, accurate comparisons of the relative effectiveness of SMIs are challenging, partly due to heterogeneity of outcomes across trials and uncertainty about the importance of these outcomes for patients. We aimed to develop a core set of patient-relevant outcomes (COS) for SMIs trials to enhance comparability of interventions and ensure person-centred care.

METHODS

We undertook an innovative approach consisting of four interlinked stages: i) Development of an initial catalogue of outcomes from previous EU-funded projects and/or published studies, ii) Scoping review of reviews on patients and caregivers' perspectives to identify outcomes of interest, iii) Two-round Delphi online survey with patients and patient representatives to rate the importance of outcomes, and iv) Face-to-face consensus workshop with patients, patient representatives, health professionals and researchers to develop the COS.

RESULTS

From an initial list of 79 potential outcomes, 16 were included in the COS plus one supplementary outcome relevant to all participants. These were related to patient and caregiver knowledge/competence, self-efficacy, patient activation, self-monitoring, adherence, smoking cessation, COPD symptoms, physical activity, sleep quality, caregiver quality of life, activities of daily living, coping with the disease, participation and decision-making, emergency room visits/admissions and cost effectiveness.

CONCLUSION

The development of the COPD COS for the evaluation of SMIs will increase consistency in the measurement and reporting of outcomes across trials. It will also contribute to more personalized health care and more informed health decisions in clinical practice as patients' preferences regarding COPD outcomes are more systematically included.

Outcomes associated with comorbid diabetes among patients with COPD exacerbation: findings from the ACURE registry

Background

Diabetes is a common comorbidity among patients with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). Diabetes has been reported to be associated with length of stay (LOS), death, and cost among AECOPD patients. However, most studies are retrospective or have small sample sizes. The association for cost has not been researched using diabetes as a main analytic factor. This study aimed to fill gaps mentioned above, to compare basic characteristics between the diabetic and non-diabetic group, and to detect associations between diabetes and clinical outcomes among patients hospitalized with AECOPD.

Methods

A total of 5334 AECOPD patients, classified into diabetic and non-diabetic group, were included from a prospective multicenter patient registry study. Generalized linear regression and logistic regression were separately used for the association between diabetes and direct hospitalization cost and the association between diabetes and LOS.

Results

Generally, diabetic patients had a more severe profile, including being older, more overweight or obese, having more former smokers, more emergency room visits in the past 12 months, and more comorbidities occurrence. Diabetic patients also had worse clinical outcomes, including higher cost and longer LOS. Additionally, the generalized linear regression indicated that the marginal mean cost difference between diabetic and non-diabetic patients was RMB (¥) 775.7.

Conclusions

AECOPD patients with comorbid diabetes had a more severe profile and higher direct hospitalization cost. Diabetes screening and integrated care programs might help reduce the heavy comorbidity and economic burden. Moreover, corticosteroids and metformin could be considered in the treatment of these patients.

Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov with the identifier NCT0265752.

Community health programs delivered through information and communications technology in high-income countries: a scoping review (Preprint)

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has required widespread and rapid adoption of information and communications technology (ICT) platforms by health professionals. Transitioning health programs from face-to-face to remote delivery using ICT platforms has introduced new challenges.

Objective

The objective of this review is to scope for ICT-delivered health programs implemented within the community health setting in high-income countries and rapidly disseminate findings to health professionals.

Methods

The Joanna Briggs Institute’s scoping review methodology guided the review of the literature.

Results

The search retrieved 7110 unique citations. Each title and abstract was screened by at least two reviewers, resulting in 399 citations for full-text review. Of these 399 citations, 72 (18%) were included. An additional 27 citations were identified through reviewing the reference lists of the included studies, resulting in 99 citations. Citations examined 83 ICT-delivered programs from 19 high-income countries. Variations in program design, ICT platforms, research design, and outcomes were evident.

Conclusions

Included programs and research were heterogeneous, addressing prevalent chronic diseases. Evidence was retrieved for the effectiveness of nurse and allied health ICT-delivered programs. Findings indicated that outcomes for participants receiving ICT-delivered programs, when compared with participants receiving in-person programs, were either equivalent or better. Gaps included a paucity of co-designed programs, qualitative research around group programs, programs for patients and carers, and evaluation of cost-effectiveness. During COVID-19 and beyond, health professionals in the community health setting are encouraged to build on existing knowledge and address evidence gaps by developing and evaluating innovative ICT-delivered programs in collaboration with consumers and carers.

Telemedicine in COPD: An Overview by Topics

COPD is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and carries a huge and growing economic and social burden. Telemedicine might allow the care of patients with limited access to health services and improve their self-management. During the COVID-19 pandemic, patient's safety represents one of the main reasons why we might use these tools to manage our patients. The authors conducted a literature search in MEDLINE database. The retrieval form of the Medical Subject Headings (Mesh) was ((Telemedicine OR Tele-rehabilitation OR Telemonitoring OR mHealth OR Ehealth OR Telehealth) AND COPD). We only included systematic reviews, reviews, meta-analysis, clinical trials and randomized-control trials, in the English language, with the selected search items in title or abstract, and published from January 1st 2015 to 31st May 2020 (n = 56). There was a positive tendency toward benefits in tele-rehabilitation, health-education and self-management, early detection of COPD exacerbations, psychosocial support and smoking cessation, but the heterogeneity of clinical trials and reviews limits the extent to which this value can be understood. Telemonitoring interventions and cost-effectiveness had contradictory results. The literature on teleconsultation was scarce during this period. The non-inferiority tendency of telemedicine programmes comparing to conventional COPD management seems an opportunity to deliver quality healthcare to COPD patients, with a guarantee of patient's safety, especially during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Improving continuity of care of patients with respiratory disease at hospital discharge

Continuity of care refers to the delivery of coherent, logical and timely care to an individual. It is threatened during the transition of care at hospital discharge, which can contribute to worse patient outcomes. In a traditional acute care model, the roles of hospital and community healthcare providers do not overlap and this can be a barrier to continuity of care at hospital discharge. Furthermore, the transition from inpatient to outpatient care is associated with a transition from acute to chronic disease management and, in a busy hospital, attention to this can be crowded out by the pressures of providing acute care. This model is suboptimal for the large proportion of patients admitted to hospital with acute-on-chronic respiratory disease. In a chronic care model, the healthcare system is designed to give adequate priority to care of chronic disease. Integrated care for the patient with respiratory disease fits the chronic care model and responds to the fragmentation of care in a traditional acute care model: providers integrate their respiratory services to provide continuous, holistic care tailored to individuals. This promotes greater continuity of care for individuals, and can improve patient outcomes both at hospital discharge and more widely.

EDUCATIONAL AIMS

To understand the concept of continuity of care and its effect at the transition between inpatient and outpatient care.To understand the difference between the acute and chronic models of healthcare.To understand the effect of integration of care on continuity of care for patients with respiratory disease and their health outcomes.

Exploring the barriers and facilitators for the use of digital health technologies for the management of COPD: a qualitative study of clinician perceptions

BACKGROUND

Digital health technology (DHT) promises to support patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs) to optimize the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, there is a lack of evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of DHT for the management of COPD. One reason for this is the lack of user-involvement in the development of DHT interventions in COPD meaning their needs and preferences are rarely accounted for in the design phase. Although HCP adoption issues have been identified in relation to DHT, little is known about the challenges perceived by HCPs providing care to COPD patients. Therefore, this study aims to qualitatively explore the barriers and facilitators HCPs perceive for the use of DHT in the management of COPD.

METHODS

Participants (n = 32) were recruited using snowball sampling from two university hospitals and several general practitioner clinics. A semi-structured interview was conducted with each participant. NVivo 12 software was used to complete thematic analysis on the data.

RESULTS

Themes identified include: data quality; evidence-based care; resource constraints; and digital literacy presented as barriers; and facilitators include the following themes: digital health training and education; improving HCP digital literacy; and Personalized prescribing. Patient-centered approaches, such as pulmonary rehabilitation and shared decision-making were suggested as implementation strategies to ease the adoption of digital health for the management of COPD.

CONCLUSION

These findings contribute new insights about the needs and preferences of HCPs working in COPD regarding DHT. The findings can be used to help mitigate user-experience issues by informing the design of person-centered implementation and adoption strategies for future digital health interventions in COPD.

Exacerbation action plans for patients with COPD and comorbidities: a randomised controlled trial

This international randomised controlled trial evaluated whether COPD patients with comorbidities, trained in using patient-tailored multidisease exacerbation action plans, had fewer COPD exacerbation days than usual care (UC).COPD patients (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) classification II-IV) with ≥1 comorbidity (ischaemic heart disease, heart failure, diabetes, anxiety, depression) were randomised to a patient-tailored self-management intervention (n=102) or UC (n=99). Daily symptom diaries were completed for 12 months. The primary outcome "COPD exacerbation days per patient per year" was assessed using intention-to-treat analyses.No significant difference was observed in the number of COPD exacerbation days per patient per year (self-management: median 9.6 (interquartile range (IQR) 0.7-31.1); UC: median 15.6 (IQR 3.0-40.3); incidence rate ratio (IRR) 0.87 (95% CI 0.54; 1.39); p=0.546). There was a significantly shorter duration per COPD exacerbation for self-management (self-management: median 8.1 (IQR 4.8-10.1) days; UC: median 9.5 (IQR 7.0-15.1) days; p=0.021), with no between-group differences in the total number of respiratory hospitalisations (IRR 0.76 (95% CI 0.42; 1.35); p=0.348), but a lower probability of ≥1 for respiratory-related hospitalisation compared to UC (relative risk 0.55 (95% CI 0.35; 0.87); p=0.008). No between-group differences were observed in all-cause hospitalisations (IRR 1.07 (95% CI 0.66; 1.72)) or mortality (self-management: n=4 (3.9%); UC: n=7 (7.1%); relative risk 0.55 (95% CI 0.17; 1.84)).Patient-tailored exacerbation action plans for COPD patients with comorbidities did not significantly reduce exacerbation days, but reduced the duration per COPD exacerbation and the risk of having at least one respiratory-related hospitalisation during follow-up, without excess all-cause mortality.

Comprehensive care for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common chronic disease worldwide and incurs heavy utilization of healthcare resources. Many COPD patients have comorbidities and experience exacerbations in the course of the disease. Correct diagnosis and appropriate disease assessment are essential for clinical management. Comprehensive care for patients with different severity of disease aims to offer personalized treatment to suit individual needs. Patients with recent exacerbations also need extra care for the post-acute and rehabilitation phases. Comprehensive care consists of self-management and pulmonary rehabilitation and involves multiple healthcare providers working together closely to provide formal structured programmes for patients. The setting, professionals involved, content and the duration of programme vary a lot among different comprehensive care models. Some randomized controlled trials suggested there was improvement in quality of life, exercise capacity and reduced hospital admissions for participants in comprehensive care programmes compared with controls. However, other studies showed that such programmes might not confer benefits and might even bring harm. The reason for the differences in clinical effect of programmes might be due to differences in study design, components and subjects involved in the studies. Careful evaluation of each programme is thus mandatory. Further research is needed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of comprehensive care management for COPD patients, both at the stable and post-acute exacerbation state.

Innovating the treatment of COPD exacerbations: a phone interactive telesystem to increase COPD Action Plan adherence

Introduction

Self-management interventions with Written Action Plans and case management support have been shown to improve outcomes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Novel telehealth technologies may improve self-management interventions. The objectives of this study were to determine whether the use of an interactive phone telesystem increases Action Plan adherence, improves exacerbation recovery and reduces healthcare use in a real-life practice of a COPD clinic.

Methods

Initially, 40 patients were followed by a COPD telesystem for 1 year. Detailed data from patients' behaviours during exacerbations was recorded. The telesystem use was then extended to 256 patients from a real-life COPD clinic. Healthcare utilisation for the year before and after telesystem enrolment was then assessed through hospital administrative databases.

Results

Thirty-three of the 40 patients completed the initial 1-year study. Eighty-one exacerbations were reported in the 1-year follow-up. Action Plan adherence was observed for 72% of the exacerbations and those who were adherent had a significantly faster exacerbation recovery time. The large-scale implementation of the telesystem resulted in a significant decrease in the proportion of patients with ≥1 respiratory-related emergency room (ER) visits (120 before vs 110 after enrolment, p<0.001) and with ≥1 COPD-related hospitalisations (75 before vs 65 after enrolment, p<0.001).

Discussion

COPD Written Action Plan adherence was further enhanced with the use of telehealth technologies in a specialised clinic with experience in COPD self-management. Patients followed by the telesystem recovered faster from exacerbations and had a further decrease in COPD-related ER visits and hospitalisations.

Trial registration number

NCT02275078.

Cost-effectiveness of the COPD Patient Management European Trial home-based disease management program

Purpose

Efficient management of COPD represents an international challenge. Effective management strategies within the means of limited health care budgets are urgently required. This analysis aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a home-based disease management (DM) intervention vs usual management (UM) in patients from the COPD Patient Management European Trial (COMET).

Methods

Cost-effectiveness was evaluated in 319 intention-to-treat patients over 12 months in COMET. The analysis captured unplanned all-cause hospitalization days, mortality, and quality-adjusted life expectancy. Costs were evaluated from a National Health Service perspective for France, Germany, and Spain, and in a pooled analysis, and were expressed in 2015 Euros (EUR). Quality of life was assessed using the 15D health-related quality-of-life instrument and mapped to utility scores.

Results

Home-based DM was associated with improved mortality and quality-adjusted life expectancy. DM and UM were associated with equivalent direct costs (DM reduced costs by EUR −37 per patient per year) in the pooled analysis. DM was associated with lower costs in France (EUR −806 per patient per year) and Spain (EUR −51 per patient per year), but higher costs in Germany (EUR 391 per patient per year). Evaluation of cost per death avoided and cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained showed that DM was dominant (more QALYs and cost saving) in France and Spain, and cost-effective in Germany vs UM. Nonparametric bootstrapping analysis, assuming a willingness-to-pay threshold of EUR 20,000 per QALY gained, indicated that the probability of home-based DM being cost-effective vs UM was 87.7% in France, 81.5% in Spain, and 75.9% in Germany.

Conclusion

Home-based DM improved clinical outcomes at equivalent cost vs UM in France and Spain, and in the pooled analysis. DM was cost-effective in Germany with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of EUR 2,541 per QALY gained. The COMET home-based DM intervention could represent an attractive alternative to UM for European health care payers.

Self-management strategies in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a first step toward personalized medicine

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Self-management has gained increased relevance in the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. The heterogeneity in self-management interventions has complicated the development of recommendations for clinical practice. In this review, we present the latest findings regarding conceptual definition, effectiveness of self-management interventions and self-management strategies in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as a first step toward personalized medicine: what, how and to whom?

RECENT FINDINGS

Self-management interventions have shown benefits in improving health-related quality of life and reducing hospital admissions. Favorable outcomes can only be achieved if patients have an ultimate goal, that is their desired achievements in their life. In the continuum of care, the components of the self-management program will vary to adapt to the condition of the patient (disease severity, comorbidities) and to factors such as patient motivation, confidence (self-efficacy), access to health care, family and social support. A combination of education, case management and patient-centric action plan has shown the best chance of success.

SUMMARY

The individual patient's needs, own preferences and personal goals should inform the design of any intervention with a behavioral component. A continuous loop process has to be implemented to constantly assess what work and does not work, aiming at achieving the desired outcomes for a given patient.

European Respiratory Society International Congress, Paris, 2018: highlights from the Clinical Assembly

This article contains highlights and a selection of the scientific advances from the European Respiratory Society's Clinical Assembly (Assembly 1 and its five respective groups) that were presented at the 2018 European Respiratory Society International Congress in Paris, France. The most relevant topics from each of the groups will be discussed, covering a wide range of areas including clinical problems, rehabilitation and chronic care, thoracic imaging, interventional pulmonology, and general practice and primary care. The newest research, actual data and highlight sessions will be discussed.

Vilnius Declaration on chronic respiratory diseases: multisectoral care pathways embedding guided self-management, mHealth and air pollution in chronic respiratory diseases

Background

Over 1 billion people suffer from chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, COPD, rhinitis and rhinosinusitis. They cause an enormous burden and are considered as major non-communicable diseases. Many patients are still uncontrolled and the cost of inaction is unacceptable. A meeting was held in Vilnius, Lithuania (March 23, 2018) under the patronage of the Ministry of Health and several scientific societies to propose multisectoral care pathways embedding guided self-management, mHealth and air pollution in selected chronic respiratory diseases (rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, asthma and COPD). The meeting resulted in the Vilnius Declaration that was developed by the participants of the EU Summit on chronic respiratory diseases under the leadership of Euforea.

Conclusion

The Vilnius Declaration represents an important step for the fight against air pollution in chronic respiratory diseases globally and has a clear strategic relevance with regard to the EU Health Strategy as it will bring added value to the existing public health knowledge.

Inhaled corticosteroids in COPD: friend or foe?

The efficacy, safety and positioning of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in the treatment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is much debated, since it can result in clear clinical benefits in some patients ("friend") but can be ineffective or even associated with undesired side effects, e.g. pneumonia, in others ("foe"). After critically reviewing the evidence for and against ICS treatment in patients with COPD, we propose that: 1) ICS should not be used as a single, stand-alone therapy in COPD; 2) patients most likely to benefit from the addition of ICS to long-acting bronchodilators include those with history of multiple or severe exacerbations despite appropriate maintenance bronchodilator use, particularly if blood eosinophils are >300 cells·µL^-1, and those with a history of and/or concomitant asthma; and 3) the risk of pneumonia in COPD patients using ICS is higher in those with older age, lower body mass index (BMI), greater overall fragility, receiving higher ICS doses and those with blood eosinophils <100 cells·µL^-1 All these factors must be carefully considered and balanced in any individual COPD patient before adding ICS to her/his maintenance bronchodilator treatment. Further research is needed to clarify some of these issues and firmly establish these recommendations.

Development and validation of a simple tool for the assessment of home noninvasive ventilation: the S3-NIV questionnaire

Patient-centred outcomes are significantly modified by long-term home noninvasive ventilation (NIV), but a short, self-administered, specific tool for routine clinical assessment is lacking. The aim of this study was to develop and validate the S3-NIV questionnaire, a short questionnaire to measure respiratorysymptoms,sleep quality and NIV-relatedside effects.

Patients with stable disease who were under long-term home NIV were recruited from three outpatient NIV services. Questionnaire development consisted of a selection of core items for analysis, followed by item reduction, validation and test–retest reliability.

338 patients completed a 22-item questionnaire. 11 items were removed because of non-scalability (n=2), redundancy (n=8) and lack of fit (n=1). The final version of the S3-NIV questionnaire consisted of 11 items covering two dimensions: “respiratory symptoms” (Cronbach's α=0.84) and “sleep & NIV-related side effects” (Cronbach's α=0.77). Convergent validity was high between the “respiratory symptoms” subscale of the S3-NIV questionnaire and the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (rho= −0.76, p<0.001), and between the “sleep & NIV-related side effects” subscale and the Quebec Sleep Questionnaire (rho=0.51, p<0.001). The S3-NIV questionnaire had good test­–retest reliability after 4 weeks (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.72).

The S3-NIV questionnaire is a short, valid and repeatable self-completed tool for the routine clinical assessment of patients undergoing home NIV.

Integrated Care in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Rehabilitation

Individuals with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often have complex medical problems that require more than simple pharmacological therapy to optimize outcomes. Comprehensive care is necessary to meet the substantial burdens, not just from the primary respiratory disease process itself, but also those imposed by its systemic manifestations and comorbidities. These problems are intensified in the peri-exacerbation period, especially for newly discharged patients. Pulmonary rehabilitation, with its interdisciplinary, patient-centered and holistic approach to management, and integrated care, adding coordination or transition of care to the chronic care model, are useful approaches to meeting these complex issues.

Prediction of severe acute exacerbation using changes in breathing pattern of COPD patients on home noninvasive ventilation

Introduction

Acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) is associated with poor outcome. Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is recommended to treat end-stage COPD. We hypothesized that changing breathing pattern of COPD patients on NIV could identify patients with severe AECOPD prior to admission.

Methods

This is a prospective monocentric study including all patients with COPD treated with long-term home NIV. Patients were divided in two groups: a stable group in which patients were admitted for the usual respiratory review and an exacerbation group in which patients were admitted for inpatient care of severe AECOPD. Data from the ventilator were downloaded and analyzed over the course of the 10 days that preceded the admission.

Results

A total of 62 patients were included: 41 (67%) in the stable group and 21 (33%) in the exacerbation group. Respiratory rate was higher in the exacerbation group than in the stable group over the 10 days preceding inclusion (18.2±0.5 vs 16.3±0.5 breaths/min, respectively) (P=0.034). For 2 consecutive days, a respiratory rate outside the interquartile limit of the respiratory rate calculated over the 4 preceding days was associated with an increased risk of severe AECOPD of 2.8 (95% CI: 1.4–5.5) (P<0.001). This assessment had the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive, and negative predictive values of 57.1, 80.5, 60.0, and 78.6% respectively. Over the 10 days’ period, a standard deviation (SD) of the daily use of NIV >1.0845 was associated with an increased risk of severe AECOPD of 4.0 (95% CI: 1.5–10.5) (P=0.001). This assessment had the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive, and negative predictive values of 81.0, 63.4, 53.1, and 86.7%, respectively.

Conclusion

Data from NIV can identify a change in breathing patterns that predicts severe AECOPD.